Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Too hot to handle!!
Every 30 minutes today we have been logging on to see where Hydrocarbon is, and at every sched update, the positions have changed, oh what a very frustrating day! However spare a thought for the guys onboard who had pulled out such a great lead of over 20 miles on EH01 late morning and then were at the top of the IRC 1 leader-board, all for this to change suddenly with the onset of the Guadeloupe wind-shadow. Of course, we have had the greater knowledge of what they were sailing into by looking at the tracks of the yachts ahead of them. With limited communications onboard it is likely that the crew were not aware of just how much the other yachts had slowed down ahead. Tactically a very difficult decision to either stick close to the rhumb line (quickest route) or to go offshore a little to try and get clear air and more wind to offset the slightly longer route. Hydrocarbon decided to stick to the inshore route and slowed down significantly allowing ERH01 to pass them on handicap to lead the class. Andy Middleton and his team on board this Beneteau 47.7 are sailing very well.
However all is not lost. Hydrocarbon is now clear of the wind-shadow and has rounded the southernmost tip of the race course (Les Saintes) and now headed to the next mark, Les Desirades. The issues here are that this mark is due North-east, exactly where the wind is coming from, so the yacht must tack back and forth to make forward progress, not being able to sail a straight line to the mark. This means again that tactics come to the fore and decisions of when and where to tack can be crucial at this delicate stage of the race. It will be a very interesting few hours. Once EH01 has rounded Les Saintes and are heading in the same direction, it will be a lot easier to see exactly how much progress they have made against Hydrocarbon....or if Hydrocarbon has managed to reverse the trend and start talking mileage back out of them – fingers crossed!
News from onboard today is that the crew are working very hard and hardly sleeping as it is just too hot below, so they are getting very weary!
News from the fleet is that ICAP Leopard had now joined Rambler across the finish line and are enjoying a few cold beers ashore. Two more retirements from the fleet, both in IRC 1, Ocean Warrior and Lilla.
